Device for actuating the doors of vehicles

ABSTRACT

A device for actuating the doors of vehicles, in particular of an aircraft. The device comprises a drive element, which co-operates with a door lock. A lifting motion of a shaft element and a subsequent rotational motion of a follower element are carried out in an actuation device by a drive element.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device for actuating doors ofvehicles, in particular aircraft, with a drive element which interworkswith a door locking mechanism.

Devices of this type for actuating doors, in particular of aircraft, areknown and in standard use on the market in a variety of forms anddesigns.

Conventionally, aircraft doors are locked by means of mechanical manuallocking mechanisms and are often opened manually or, where appropriate,hydraulically.

Hydraulic drive devices of aircraft doors, which automatically open theaircraft doors in an emergency actuation, are also known.

However, manually operable aircraft doors are often locked and swungopen, if necessary, via elaborate gearing mechanisms.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,650 describes a device for actuating garden gates inwhich the garden gate is lifted out of a locking mechanism by means of adrive unit which is integrated in the gate post, and, during the liftingout process, the gate experiences a pivoting movement in order to openthe garden gate.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,168,114 B1 discloses a door system for a passengeraircraft having a supporting device which supports the door leaf on thedoor frame in a pivotable fashion, and a lifting device which isconnected to said supporting device.

DE 839 171 C discloses a device for electrically driving a componentwhich can moved to and fro, in particular for opening and closing doors.

DE 31 21 136 A1 describes a pivoting gate whose drive is accommodatedwithin a rotary bearing post. The latter is composed of a transmissiondevice and a drive motor. Corresponding cam slots, which bring abouttravel and at the same time rotate the pivoting gate, are provided in acontrol tube.

An electric motor is used whose rotary movement is transmitted to amoveable component via a gear mechanism by means of a disengageableclutch which is connected downstream of said gear mechanism.

It is disadvantageous that devices of this type are, on the whole,elaborate and expensive, difficult to operate and also heavy. Thesedevices are expensive to produce, cannot be remotely activated orremote-controlled, and usually require considerable manual force andtime to operate, in particular when opening and/or closing doors ofvehicles, in particular aircraft doors.

The object of the present invention is to create a use of theaforementioned type which eliminates the aforementioned disadvantages,and with which doors of vehicles, in particular aircraft, can be lockedor opened by remote control in a precise, low-cost and effective manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To achieve the foregoing object, a stroke movement of a shaft elementand subsequent rotation of a carrier element are performed by means of adrive element in an actuation device, the shaft element being axiallyand rotationally decoupled from the carrier element, the actuationdevice having a housing, and an actuator element with a shaft elementconnected to its front surface being inserted within the housing. In thepresent invention, it has proved particularly advantageous to drive anactuation device by means of only one single motor gearing unit, inorder to implement first a stroke of a shaft element and then a rotationof a carrier element.

A stroke of a shaft element, which unlocks and lifts a door, isinitially performed through axial movement of an actuator element withina housing of the actuation device.

On completion of the stroke of the extended shaft element, a coupling ofthe rotation with a carrier element is performed via at least onecoupling element through a corresponding further rotation of theactuator element, in such a way that, for example, an aircraft door canbe swung open via the carrier element. In a corresponding reversemanner, the door, in particular the aircraft door, can be locked throughcorresponding reverse rotation of the actuator element and reversemovement of the carrier element and, following the locking operation,the aircraft door is returned into the door frame and is simultaneouslyor subsequently locked through a corresponding return stroke of theshaft element.

The actuator element can be moved axially and rotationally backwards andforwards into the different planes within the housing, in particular thecylinder element of the actuation device, via corresponding interlockingguide links and link elements. Consideration should also be given toproviding the corresponding guide links, for example, in an inner wallof the cylinder element, whereby corresponding guide elements are thenassigned to the actuator element and engage with corresponding guidelinks. The invention is not restricted to this feature.

The present inventive concept also includes the feature that either theactuator element or the housing of the actuation device can be activelydriven by means of or via the motor gearing unit. The invention is notrestricted to this feature. Both options are conceivable.

The present invention produces a device with which two functions ormovements can be performed in a synchronized manner in temporalsuccession by means of only one single motor gearing unit. An aircraftdoor, for example, can be unlocked and lifted from a door frame and canthen be swung open by the carrier element. The corresponding guide linksguarantee that, when the carrier element moves, a return stroke isprevented or ensured. A reverse closing swing of the aircraft door andsubsequent insertion and locking of the door can similarly besynchronized with only one single motor gearing unit. By means of thecorresponding guide links, these movement operations can be implementedin a very exact and precise manner by means of only one readilycontrollable and adjustable device with only one single motor gearingunit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further advantages, features and details of the invention are describedin the following description of preferred embodiments, and withreference to the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 schematically shows a horizontal projection with a partially cutaway longitudinal section through a device for actuating doors, inparticular aircraft doors;

FIG. 2 schematically shows a partial longitudinal section through theactuation device of the device according to FIG. 1 in a position of use;

FIG. 3 schematically shows a partial longitudinal section through theactuation device according to FIG. 1 in a further position of use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to FIG. 1, a device R according to the invention for actuatingdoors of vehicles, in particular aircraft, has a drive element 1 whichis designed in the preferred embodiment as a motor gearing unit 2. Agearing unit 4 is connected to a motor 3. The gearing unit 4 or motorgearing unit 2 is connected to an actuation device 5. In the preferredembodiment, the actuation device 5 has a housing 6 which is preferablydesigned as a cylinder element 7 with rotational symmetry around acentral axis M.

In the area of a front surface 8 of the cylinder element 7, a carrierelement 10 is rotatably mounted around the central axis M via at leastone bearing 9. The front surface of the carrier element 10 projectsslightly beyond the front surface 8 of the cylinder element 7.

A coupling element 12.1, preferably designed as a toothed coupling, isprovided on an inner front surface 11.1 of the carrier element. Thecarrier element 10 and the coupling element 12.1 are preferably designedin an annular form and are provided with a central bore 13.

An actuator element 15 is located with rotational symmetry around thecentral axis M in the inner space 14 of the housing 6 or the cylinderelement 7. The shaft element 16, with rotational symmetry around theaxis M, is connected to a front surface 11.2 of the actuator element 15,whereby a further coupling element 12.2, preferably designed as atoothed coupling, is assigned in an annular form to the front surface11.2.

The shaft element 16 is mounted so that it can slide backwards andforwards axially in the direction X indicated by the double arrows alongthe central axis M within the bore 13 of the carrier element 10.

The carrier element 10 can be simultaneously moved or slid radially inrelation to the shaft element 16.

Guide links 18.1, 18.2 are provided in an outer casing surface 17 of theactuator element 15, whereby the respective guide links 18.1, 18.2 aredesigned to revolve at least partially around the casing surface 17,interconnecting different planes E1, E2.

A link element 19.1, 19.2 is assigned to an inner wall 20 of the housingG.

The link element 19.1 engages with the guide link 18.1 of the actuatorelement 15 and the link element 19.2 engages precisely with the guidelink 18.2 of the actuator element 15.

The guide links 18.1, 18.2 are at least partially molded into the casingsurface 17 of the actuator element 15 so that they can rotate throughvirtually 3600, whereby said links interconnect the respective planesE1, E2 of the guide links 18.1 or 18.2 via a pitch 21.

An axial guide 22, which equalizes a stroke H of the actuator element 15between the carrier element 10 or its coupling elements 12.1, 12.2, islocated between the motor gearing unit 2, in particular between thegearing unit 4 and the actuator element 15, as shown in particular inFIG. 2. This may, for example, be a splined shaft connection.

The mode of operation of the present invention is as follows:

In the embodiment of the present invention according to FIG. 1, a deviceR is described in which the actuator element 15 can be rotationallydriven with the shaft element 16 connected to its front surface by meansof the motor gearing unit 2.

In the present embodiment, the motor gearing unit 2 is preferablymounted in a torsion-resistant manner, so that with rotational, activedriving of the actuator element 15 around the central axis M through theguide links 18.1, 18.2 described above, which engage with the guideelements 19.1, 19.2, the actuator element 15, as shown in particular inFIG. 3, can be moved in the X direction shown against the carrierelement 10. The shaft element 16 is moved by the carrier element 10through a stroke H.

If the front surfaces 11.1, 11.2 meet with one another when the actuatorelement 15 moves against the carrier element 10 and if the couplingelements 12.1, 12.2 lie adjacently, coupled with one another, as shownin particular in FIG. 2, a radial connection is established between theactuator element 15 and the carrier element 10 in a frictionally orpositively engaging manner.

The scope of the invention is also intended to include the feature thatthe coupling elements 12.1, 12.2 transmit a radial rotation of theactuator element 15 onto the carrier plate 10 in a frictionally orpositively engaging manner.

In particular as shown in FIG. 2, on completion of the stroke H of theactuator element 15, a subsequent rotation of the carrier element 10 canbe synchronized.

An important feature of the present invention is that two functions ofthe actuator element 15 or the carrier element 10 can be performed in asynchronized manner by means of only one single motor gearing unit 2.The stroke of the shaft element 16 is first performed, until theactuator element 15 meets with the carrier element 10, in order to thencause the latter, once the stroke is completed, to rotate in accordancewith the guide links 18.1, 18.2.

In a corresponding reverse sequence, the carrier element 10 can first bemoved back by changing the drive direction of the motor gearing unit 2,and the actuator element 15 with the shaft element 16, as shown fromFIG. 1 to FIG. 3, can then be moved back through a stroke H, in that theactuator element 15 moves from the plane E₁ into the plane E₂ along theguide links 18.1, 18.2. The rotation of the carrier plate 10 is firstperformed, followed by a return stroke of the shaft element 16 into anoriginal starting position, as shown in FIG. 1.

The scope of the present invention is further intended to include thefeature that, for example, the motor gearing unit 2 does notrotationally drive the actuator element 5, but rather the housing 6, inparticular its cylinder element 7. In this case, the shaft element 16 isfixed to any door in a torsion-resistant manner in relation to thecentral axis M.

By rotating the housing 6, the actuator element 15 can be movedaccording to the direction of rotation to produce the stroke H in the Xdirection shown in FIG. 3, until the couplings 12.1, 12.2 frictionallyor positively engage and the carrier element 10 is then rotated aroundthe central axis M. This similarly falls within the scope of the presentinvention.

Particularly in the case of aircraft doors not shown here, such doorscan be unlocked and lifted at very low cost by means of only one singlemotor gearing unit 2 through a stroke H of the shaft element 16. Oncethe aircraft door has been unlocked and lifted, the carrier element 10is rotated around the central axis M through corresponding furtherradial rotation of the actuator element 15 in order to swing open theaircraft door. The door is closed through a change in direction of themotor gearing unit 2, whereby the door is lowered or inserted and lockedby the subsequent return stroke of the shaft element 16.

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A device for actuating doors of vehicles comprisesa drive element (1) which interworks with a door locking mechanism,wherein a stroke movement of a shaft element (16) and subsequentrotation of a carrier element (10) are performed by means of the driveelement (1) in an actuation device (5), the shaft element (16) beingaxially and rotationally decoupled from the carrier element (10), theactuation device (5) having a housing (6), and an actuator element (15)with a shaft element (16) connected to its front surface being insertedwithin the housing (6).
 22. The device as claimed in claim 21, whereinthe drive element (1) is an electrically operated and controllable motorgearing unit (2).
 23. The device as claimed in claim 21, wherein theactuation device (5) is connected to the drive element (1).
 24. Thedevice as claimed in claim 23, wherein the actuation device (5) isconnected to the motor gearing unit (2).
 25. The device as claimed inclaim 21, wherein the actuation device (5) is driven by means of thedrive element (1) rotationally around a central axis (M).
 26. The deviceas claimed in claim 25, wherein the housing (6) is designed as acylinder element (7) with rotational symmetry around the central axis(M).
 27. The device as claimed in claim 26, wherein the actuator element(15) is designed with rotational symmetry around the central axis (M)and is mounted so that it can move axially and radially within thehousing (6).
 28. The device as claimed in claim 27, wherein the actuatorelement (15) has a multiplicity of guide links (18.1, 18.2) in a casingsurface (17).
 29. The device as claimed in claim 28, wherein at leastone guide element (19.1, 19.2), which interworks with the guide links(18.1, 18.2) of the actuator element (15), is inserted into the cylinderelement (7).
 30. The device as claimed in claim 28, wherein therespective guide links (18.1, 18.2) interconnect different planes (E₁,E₂) in the casing surface (17).
 31. The device as claimed in claim 26,wherein the carrier element (10), which is mounted to rotate around thecentral axis (M), is assigned to the drive element (1).
 32. The deviceas claimed in claim 31, wherein the shaft element (16) engages with thecarrier element (10) in an axially and rotationally decoupled manner.33. The device as claimed in claim 32, wherein the carrier element (10)is mounted via at least one bearing (9) on its front surface in thecylinder element (7) so that it can rotate radially.
 34. The device asclaimed in claim 33, wherein the carrier element (10) axially projectsbeyond a front surface (8) of the cylinder element (7).
 35. The deviceas claimed in claim 26, wherein coupling elements (12.1, 12.2) areassigned to the actuator element (15) and the carrier element (10) ineach case on front surfaces (11.1, 11.2).
 36. The device as claimed inclaim 35, wherein the coupling elements (12.1, 12.2) of the carrierelement (10) and the actuator element (15) are aligned radially inrelation to one another.
 37. The device as claimed in claim 36, whereinan axial guide (22) or axially movable splined shaft connections areprovided between the actuation device (5) and the drive element (1). 38.The device as claimed in claim 37, wherein the cylinder element (7) isdriven rotationally around the central axis (M) via a motor gearing unit(2).
 39. The device as claimed in claim 38, wherein, through rotationaldriving of the cylinder element (7), the actuator element (15) can bemoved through a stroke (H), guided by the link elements (19.1, 19.2) inthe guide link (18.1, 18.2) against the carrier element (10), until thecoupling elements (12.1, 12.2) of the carrier element (10) and theactuator element (15) meet with one another and the carrier element (10)can be rotated through further radial rotation of the actuator element(15) or the housing (6).